Keeping Kids Safe Online

As part of our community education series, we’re sponsoring a great program to educate parents on the basics of keeping our children safe online, especially on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and others.

Technology that was once the stuff of science fiction is now in our children’s hands. This presents both exciting new possibilities, and significant risks.

Did you know . . .

85% of Oneida County students say they use “instant messenger services” (e.g. Facebook, Snapchat)

41% of Oneida County students hide their online identity

87% of Oneida County students have a personal email account

Become more educated, and more aware of the current technology landscape—and what you can do—through this program.

The talk is titled,“Social Media Awareness: What All Parents Need to Know”.

We were very proud to sponsor the Utica Zoo Master Plan unveiling reception, “Dream Big with the Utica Zoo”, where the Zoo’s exciting new improvements and future expansion plans were shared with the community. We also pledged major financial support for the new Education Animal Enrichment and Training Center. Who will join us in supporting this amazing gem of the Mohawk Valley? Give to the Utica Zoo here!

We are honored to be the Corporate Luminary Sponsor of the 2015 Ride for Missing Children-CNY. This is our 6th year as Luminary Sponsor, as this is a noble cause we’re very proud to support. The Ride for Missing Children is the biggest annual fundraiser for the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children – Mohawk Valley Office.

At the Mohawk Valley office, missing children alerts are received, and printed posters of missing children are sent out to specific geographic areas in the United States, Canada and Mexico, aiding the effort to recover missing children. Throughout the year, they conduct educational programs at schools and other educational facilities across New York State, as a way to prevent children from going missing. They also offer all-important hope and healing to families of missing children.

This year, 6 Volunteers and 10 Riders are representing First Source in the Ride. Above and beyond our Luminary sponsorship, our Corporate Riders raise additional funds on their own to support the Center.

Our corporate sponsorship, along with all corporate sponsorships for the Ride, are an invaluable source of underwriting for the Ride. They allow all Rider fundraising to directly benefit the Center’s mission of education and poster distribution.

We are honored to be a true partner of The Ride For Missing Children, helping to “Make our children safer…One child at a time.”

The Ride will be passing our New Hartford branch around 12:25 p.m. Friday, and we invite you to join us to cheer them on!

Julieann Maciag, one of our Financial Services Representatives, shares with us what the Ride For Missing Children means to her , as well as the emotions that she feels as she has trained for this 100 mile event.

The ride means a few things to me… One, a way to start healing after my father’s passing in January. Secondly, being a Mom, it would devastate me if something happened to MY son. I can only imagine what these parents and abducted children are going through. And lastly, I never forgot when Sara Ann Wood was taken. I was devastated for her and her family. I remember buying a button with her face on it. I wore that button every day for the longest time. A couple weeks ago I found it while cleaning out my storage unit. Of all the years to rediscover it, I find it THIS year, the year I am a first time rider. Since then, it’s been with me each time I get on my bike and will wear it the day of the ride in her honor. So this year, I ride for Sara, My Son, and my Dad.

The words that describes my feelings about the big day, Anxious, Impressed, & Emotional. I’m anxious about making the whole way. I am really impressed by the experience, and camaraderie of the other riders, and the precision the Shepard’s work in effort to help you train. And I am emotional as I remember each time I get on my bike, the real reason we are all doing this. For the abducted children and their parents.

Our Executive Administrative Assistant Liz Crane, had this to say about participating in this year’s Ride For Missing Children.

“It’s been great meeting up again with Ride friends at training rides and meetings, but I am most looking forward to May 18th when we all come together to focus on our purpose of spreading awareness of the missing and child safety.”

“Seeing the excitement of the school children is truly amazing; and meeting and riding with the families of missing children and even recovered children fills my heart with a type of compassion that is unlike any other.”